Chhattisgarh BJP unveils manifesto for urban body polls

Making cities dust-free, empowering women, facilitating trips to the 'Ram Janmabhoomi' in Ayodhya and property tax waiver are among the promises made by the Chhattisgarh BJP in its manifesto for the December 21 polls to urban local bodies released here on Monday.

The polls will provide the main opposition party a chance to gauge its popularly in urban areas a year after losing power in the state which it ruled for 15 years.

The 40-page Sankalp Patra (manifesto), comprising 36 points, was released jointly by BJP national vice-president and former chief minister Raman Singh, Leader of Opposition Dharamlal Kaushik, former ministers Brijmohan Agrawal, Amar Agrawal and other at Ekatma Parisar, the partys Raipur office.

This was the first time the saffron party has released a manifesto for election to urban bodies in the state.

Speaking on the occasion, Brijmohan Agrawal said the ruling Congress had promised to slash property tax by half in its 2018 assembly election manifesto, but no rebate was given in 2018-19 and 2019-20.

Now, the BJP will take initiative to completely waive property tax for the financial year 2020-21 if it comes to power in urban local bodies, he said.

The party will also provide houses to families having income below Rs 3 lakh a year under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna apart from taking steps towards including those families who doesnt fit in the schemes criteria, he added.

The BJP, if it wins, will launch drive towards making cities dust-free, ensure scientific solid waste management, promote more use of lavatories, public toilets and make arrangement for more dumping yards, better drainage and hygienic markets, among others, Brijmohan Agrawal added.

Towards women empowerment, the BJP promised to install CCTV cameras at Majnu Spots to check incidents of eve- teasing and molestation apart from holding self-defence workshops for women.

It promised to hold employment fairs for women and set up dedicated gardens and more working hostels for them. The party will organise trips to 'Ram Janmabhoomi' in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, for people living in urban areas, according to the Sankalp Patra.

Besides, religious trips will be organised for people belonging to other faiths too, the manifesto said.

The party will strengthen rainwater harvesting system in a bid to protect and conserve ponds, Brijmohan Agrawal said.

Like, Har Ghar Sauchalaya programme, the party will work with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modis ambitious scheme Har Ghar Tak Nal Se Jal to provide piped water to every household by 2024, he added.

The BJP promised to provide smart services, wherein one can get doorstep delivery of important documents like birth or death certificates through a mobile application on their mobile phones.

A Help to Health and Wealth scheme will be launched under which elected BJP representatives in urban bodies will not use vehicles run on petrol or diesel once in a week, the former minister said.

The party promised to upgrade municipal corporation- run schools as smart schools with facilities like advance library, laboratories, open-air gym and community tuition, among others.

As many as 151 urban bodies - 10 civic corporations, 38 municipal councils and 103 nagar panchayats - will vote on December 21.